Category Archives: Rick Wakeman

Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman’s beery take on Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” became the A-side of a 45 released by A&M in 1979:

“Swan Lager” also served as side two’s closing track for 1979 double album, Rhapsodies.

How interesting to see one of the leading exponents of progressive “art rock” flirt with reggae rhythms on a track that Billboard, in its June 30 1979 edition, would identify in its list of recommended LPs as one of the album’s best cuts. It would appear, unfortunately, that this attempt at classically-infused reggae failed to chart.